SILENCE BREAKERS START A MOVEMENT

Last night, a headline in the Washington Post noted: “Scandal costs three congressmen their jobs this week. The last time something like this happened,” the article continued, “it was over slavery.” Women are rising up in a spontaneous movement, demanding respect and restitution from men across our country. The #Me Too movement has brought them out of the shadows of long covered-up anger, pain and shame and on their feet to say that they aren’t going to take it anymore.

TIME magazine has named the Silence Breakers as its 2017 Person of the Year. It is a time of reckoning for men who have regarded women as inferior, objects and toys for their pleasure. And it’s not just about celebrities, the power of #Me Too has taken hold in the halls of Congress, in the workplace and I guarantee you, in many homes.

Rising movements aren’t pretty. They are chaotic and clumsy as they strive to find their way towards a better outcome for the common good. As we watch the chaos unfold, we realize that a lot of things about it are not fair. The world was not fair to Anita Hill. It is also not fair to compare Al Franken’s misdeeds to Roy Moore or to that person who sits in the oval office, but in these types of movements, passion rules. At the moment we are confused but if we work at it, leadership and a more just process will emerge.

Will there be a backlash? Yes, there will and many of the Silence Breakers and their allies will be hurt. But that hurt is lessened if we stand behind their shoulder or at their side. This is how cultural change occurs. We need to stand with the Silence Breakers and others, both male and female, who are victims of gender, race and identity crimes. If we are complacent, this powerful moment will be lost. If we are vigilant, this spontaneous movement may become a strategic movement for lasting change.

Most of the damage to date has been to men who had enough conscience to feel ashamed. But the wave is beginning to wash wider to other prominent men. Echoing a previous blog on this topic, I am asking, where are the good men of conscience who will back up our brave Silence Breakers and women who speak on their behalf. These women include Nikki Haley, American ambassador to the United Nations, who said that women who have accused President Trump of sexual misconduct should be heard, which is counter to the administration’s position.

Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, also publically said that the President’s accusers should be heard and stood tall even as the president personally lashed back at her with a demeaning, disgusting tweet.

Gender rights is a broad topic and its potential scope is not limited to sexual harassment. Women are reclaiming their time to speak in the workplace and demanding equal pay for equal work. Women deserve to be respected for their thinking, their talents, their hard work and their contributions to society. #Me Too is a gender equality issue. Like all social injustices, this can’t be won without broad and sustained support. Make your voices heard, run for office, organize in your communities, support your domestic abuse shelters. Stand beside your courageous co-workers and vote for candidates who support gender equality.

WHAT MY LEFT HAND WAS DOING: LESSONS FROM A GRASSROOTS ACTIVIST

Coming soon… there is some promising movement in getting this to print.

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Please note that my blog may be down over the holidays while I take a break to fix some links that are not working. I’m looking forward to starting anew in 2018. See you then. Joann